In the week that saw Oxford Dictionaries addingbants and butthurts to its line-up, one shop came to the public's attention for its use of an even more ridiculous word: It is called Wanker's, and you'll find it on Wanker's Corner.The owners of Wanker's Country Store—"Where the good times come easy!"—in Oregon are fully aware that the shop's name is a common insult in British English that means "idiot" or, more literally, "masturbator, " but they're proud of their long heritage.
The family-owned shop sells speciality wines in the Wanker's Wine Cave, as well as fine cigars (so often the smoke of choice for wankers), hot food from the Wanker's deli, and Wanker's branded T-shirts and hoodies. "Plus an ATM!"Perhaps understandably, on social media Wanker's is often the butt of a rather one-note joke:
The shop's proprietor, Rob Schneider—no, not that Rob Schneider—told me the story behind the name: "It's named after the Wanker family, who still own the property, and are my landlords. Their name is spelled like wanker, but it's a German pronunciation, Wonker, and in German wanker doesn't mean the same thing." According to a cursory Google, other famous Wankers have included Austrian curler Werner Wanker, Belgian guitarist Jerry Wanker, and, if we believe Portlandia, pretty much everyone in the nearby city of Portland.Schneider is well aware of the word's double meaning, and says his store has gained a lot of celebrity Wanker's fans over the years. Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser even filmed a movie there, at the old Wanker's Corner Saloon bar next door. "Movie stars have their pictures taken in front of it… Mo Farah has been here and taken his picture." No wonder the Wanker clan have kept a firm hold on their veritable family jewel.
I was excited by the idea of a Wanker's Wine Cave, but it turns out to be disappointingly straight laced: "Yeah, people sit and eat their lunches and dinners, and there's a big wine barrel table. A table made out of a wine barrel. Then there's just a lot of wine for sale, it's a hexagonal shaped room and there's wine for sale all around the outside, and people sit and eat in the middle."
Surprisingly they're still looking for sponsors for the huge illuminated Wanker's sign outside. Who wouldn't want to have their brand associated with Wanker's?
Schneider registered the name registered so nobody else could use it, which you have to think might be overkill. He gets a lot of Brits and Australians coming in to check out the wares and pick up a T-shirt, but it never rubs him the wrong way: "It doesn't get to be a pain, it doesn't cause any problem at all."
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